Since the 2017 U.S. Muslim Ban, this color photographic portrait project has aimed to challenge negative stereotypes and biases, foster understanding, and promote social change. As an American Jewish woman and photographic artist, I feel a strong sense of moral responsibility to shed light on humanity and build bridges cross culturally. This body of work seeks to shift the narrative surrounding American Muslim women by showcasing diverse passions and talents; kickboxing, neuroscience, farming, music, Skateboarding and more, through compelling visual color photographic portraits paired with personal interview texts. Each woman featured shares her own words on how she wishes to be seen and what she hopes people will understand about her identity. The work is situated in a tradition of socially engaged photography. While deeply personal, the work also dialogues with broader histories of misunderstood communities, women, and the careful relationship between Jewish and Muslim women, coming together in the name of art and finding common ground, challenging the viewer to confront their own position within these narratives.

In this historical moment marked by xenophobia, war in the Middle East, polarization, hate crimes, and disconnect, this work aims to carve out a space for connection, reflection, and is deeply human. A body of work dedicated to the commitment to visual experimentation, critical engagement, and emotional resonance. American Muslim is an invitation to reconsider the boundaries between pre-conceived notions and new found understandings and ultimately bring this under-represented subject into the artistic foreground.

Getting to judge the amazing collection of projects submitted to the Center’s Socially Engaged Award was an inspiring look at an incredibly wide variety of contemporary photographic artists addressing the mission of creating a body of work that is truly socially engaging. It was not easy to narrow these down to the half dozen or so that were at top of my list, and even harder to settle on just one. 

Ultimately the project, “American Muslim,” was the project that I felt wove together the strongest use of the collaborative tools of cross-cultural social engagement. The beauty of compelling documentary photographic practice, along with the prominence of the subject’s own voices included front and center is seamless and makes for a well-crafted and thorough presentation.

At this moment in America’s narrative arc are there aren’t many more important issues than the understanding and acceptance of the full diversity of modern America and the world. With Islamophobia on the rise, ‘American Muslim’ pushes the viewer to engage and see these American women for what they are as Americans. ‘American Muslim’ presents a much-needed counter narrative arc than that of the xenophobic, misogynist, and racist narrative of the current government’s course.

‘American Muslim’ utilizes the photographic lens and first-person narrative interview quotes to illuminate American Muslim women from the millennial and Gen-Z generations, placing them into the artistic and socially engaged foreground honestly, elegantly and without artifice. 

This project beautifully presents a positive narrative of American women who are of the Islamic faith in photographs and words by presenting their diversity, passions and talents, like, kickboxing, neuroscience, farming, music, Skateboarding, community service and so many more. 

The subjects themselves own voices sum up so much of what so strong about them, as well as this project. 

‘Amna’ states, "I strive to be seen as any other person. Just because I wear the hijab doesn't mean I'm different. There's a lot of stereotypes around it, the hijab is not a defining factor.” 

Or another,Rimsha, “I would like to be seen as an independent Muslim woman that does not depend on a male figure and is not oppressed.”

The artist, a Jewish woman has succeeded in so many of her intents with this project and in her own words sums up her intent to address another pressing global issue, “While deeply personal, the work also dialogues with broader histories of misunderstood communities, women, and the careful relationship between Jewish and Muslim women, coming together in the name of art and finding common ground, challenging the viewer to confront their own position within these narratives…”  

Bravo!

— Jeffrey Henson Scales • Photography Editor, The New York Times

Archival Pigment Prints 36" x 42”